This non-native Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis sinensis) randomly landed on a bird feeder at the preserve and didn't have any idea what he was in for from a cast of unwanted feathered visitors. This white-breasted nuthatch gives him the evil eye before deciding the seed was all he needed.
The mantis had his hands full when more than one bird was at the feeder and it was all hands on deck when these goldfinches hit the seed and the mantis spread his wings fully in hopes of looking larger. The nuthatch appears to look on bewildered by the insect.
After a full hour of defensive postures one can't help but wonder if the mantis just couldn't hold his arms up any longer and he finally moved on unscathed. While the large non-native Chinese mantis has been known to take a hummingbird, it is exceeding rare and the exception to the rule. They eat mostly insects but its accidental visit to the bird feeder provided an hour of drama and humor.
